1000+ images about Hampton Court Palace on Pinterest | Ground floor, England and London England Forward Areal View of Hampton Court Palace ~This is the story of two palaces: a Tudor palace, magnificently developed by Cardinal Wolsey and later Henry VIII, alongside a baroque palace built by William III and Mary II. Ownership of the property dates back to See More Hampton Court Palace | Queen to History Hampton Court Palace Hampton Court Palace Hampton Court Palace Hampton Court has origins older than during the early reign of Henry VIII, but before that time its appearance was not as we know it today. Beneath the grand estate of Hampton court are the remains of a house built for the Knights Hospitallers of St John sometime in 1236. The house of Hampton was then used for the primary area to manage the Knights agricultural estates. In 1494 a courtier of Henry VII named Giles Daubeny leased Hampton Court. After this Thomas Wolsey whom would become a Cardinal and Henry VIII’s right hand man would acquire Hampton Court in 1514 and began massive and lavish construction work upon the Palace.

Millions upon millions of pounds (in today’s money) was spent upon the palace, fitting it out with the finest and most exquisite architecture, furniture and tapestries. Wolsey also oversaw the building of private rooms for himself, King Henry VIII, Queen Catherine of Aragon and their daughter Princess Mary. He also ordered the construction of the huge and magnificently impressive Base Court. Truly it would become a palace fit for a King as in 1528 when Cardinal Thomas Wolsey fell from grace he gave Hampton Court (as well as York Palace) to Henry VIII in an attempt to please his King. Hampton Court Palace (photo by me) Henry VIII continued to build upon Hampton Court Palace and he added bowling alleys, tennis courts, hot and cold running water to the King’s chambers, the breathtaking Chapel Royal and magnificent gardens. He also oversaw the building of a massive hall known as The Great Hall. A few of the most impressive parts of Hampton Court are as follows: The Great Hall The great hall is a massive and spectacular hall in which up to six hundred people could be dinned there twice a day.

The hall is by far the largest room in the palace is measures 32m long, 12m wide and over 18m high. The roof is intricately decorated with miniatures of people which seem to look down at the diners and other beautiful emblems. There are massive and beautiful tapestries, which in today’s money are priceless. One of the stunning windows from within The Great Hall (photo by me). The vaulted ceiling of The Great Hall (photo by me). One of many of Henry VIII’s famous tapestries (Photo by me). The Watching Chamber This is a large room just off of the Great Hall and its name is derived from the guards who were positioned within the room to watch over Henry VIII. From this chamber are a series of rooms in which Henry VIII lived and conducted his day to day business. The repainted ceiling of The Watching Chamber (photo by me). The Haunted Gallery This area is a long hallway now hung with beautiful portraits of the Tudor monarchs and other people of history. It is said that Katherine Howard’s ghost haunts this gallery as legend has it after she was arrested she broke free and ran down this gallery calling for her husband Henry VIII.

The Haunted Gallery (photo by me). The Chapel Royal In my opinion this is one of the most beautiful areas of Hampton Court. The chapel, a place of worship, has a stunning vaulted ceiling painted blue and decorated with thousands of golden stars. The architecture in this room is simply breathtaking. Anne Boleyn’s Gatehouse When moving from Base Court to the Clock Court one must pass through Anne Boleyn’s Gatehouse. As you walk through the gatehouse if you stop and look up you can see a sign of Anne Boleyn which still survives today. There is a stunning motif of an entwined H and A (HA) which represent Henry and Anne Boleyn. A view looking up when you walk through Anne Bolyen’s Gatehouse (photo by me). A close up of the HA motif (photo by me). Clock Court This court holds Henry VIII’s impressive astronomical clock. Designed by Nicholas Oursain for Henry VIII in approximately 1540 this magnificent clock has three separate copper dials which are operated by a series of very complex gears and dials. The clock tells the hour, month and day of the year. It also tells the position of the sun and the zodiac and the phases of the moon.

It can also tell the time of high tide at Tower Bridge, which was very important for travel up and down the Thames river during Henry VIII’s reign. Henry VIII”s famous Astronomical Clock (photo by me). A view of The Great Hall from Clock Court (photo by me). Kitchens With the need to feed up to six hundred people, twice a day in the Great Hall the Kitchens of Hampton Court need to be massive. They are a series of huge rooms which contained areas for receiving food, preparing food, keeping food cool, serving food and of course a huge area which contained massive fires which were used to cook food, especially meats. A small part of the Palace’s massive kitchens (photo by me). After the death of Henry VIII and that of his children Edward VI, Mary and Elizabeth I the rule of the Tudors came to an end. Hampton Court passed through the royal families and it was William III and his wife Mary II who modified and rebuild a great portion of Hampton Court. William III commissioned Sir Christopher Wren to rebuild much of Hampton Court and from this we can see William III’s beautiful apartments and the apartments of his wife, Mary II, which still stand today.

These rooms are impressively furnished and decorated but reflect a much later period in English history than the time of Henry VIII. In 1838 Queen Victoria declared that Hampton Court ‘should be thrown open to all her subjects without restriction.’ Personally I am extremely thankful for this as it means that we in today’s modern times can visit Hampton Court and have a glimpse of what life might have been like during the reign of Henry VIII. We are able to walk through the same grand rooms and halls that Henry once did and to also experience just a little of the splendour and beauty of Hampton Court. In 2009 I had the amazing opportunity to visit Hampton Court and I have to say that it was an experience of a lifetime. I was also lucky enough to visit the Palace during the time in which the marriage of Henry VIII to his sixth wife, Catherine Parr, was being celebrated. Even arriving at Hampton Court is a breathtaking experience. Even though I knew the Palace was grand, walking down the long path which lead to the main entrance only then does one get an idea of the real grandeur and sheer size of this magnificent palace. The first thing that really caught my attention was the deep red brick which exploded across the horizon.

The closer I got to the palace the more I took in all the tiny details, especially of the intricate motifs, animals etc which decorate the entranceway. When the gates were opened I can proudly say that I was the first visitor to enter Hampton Court on October 30th 2009. The moment I stepped inside my breath was taken away. I do not think there are words to accurately describe how stunning the palace is. It is an amazing place and to be able to enter a Palace which once belonged to Henry VIII really brings its own special feeling to the picture. Walking through Anne Boleyn’s Gatehouse and stopping to look up and see the motif of the H and A had its own special experience for me. I adore Anne Boleyn and for me she is one of the most incredible, inspiring women in history. I could not help but smile as I looked at this motif. Despite Henry VIII’s best efforts to eradicate all memory of Anne here is a little something that survived. For me it really represented what a fighter Anne Boleyn was and how determined she was. Henry VIII might have tried to erase all memory of her after her execution, but in some small way Anne Boleyn still lived on.

It was also impressive to be able to look up and see the windows which belonged to the room where Jane Seymour, Henry VIII’s third wife, gave birth to their son Edward VI. It was also in these same rooms that Jane would die only twelve days later. It was rather a sad feeling to look up at those rooms and think that Jane would never have gotten to know her son, nor would Edward have had the chance to know his mother. The Great Hall at Hampton Court was just amazing. Henry VIII never did anything small did he? The Hall is breathtaking and to get a chance to see Henry VIII’s tapestries was truly wonderful. Even though time has faded their once brightly coloured gold thread they are still remarkable and truly beautiful. It was also fun, as the Anne Boleyn lover that I am, to spot the two remaining remains of Anne Boleyn in the Great Hall! I was able to find (which a little squinting) the falcon belonging to Anne Boleyn which is part of the vaulted ceiling of the Hall and also the engraved H and A on one of the walls. The stain glass windows within the Great Hall are magnificently impressive and the way the light filtered through them was just beautiful.

I enjoyed walking through the Haunted Gallery and seeing so many magnificent portraits. I do not put any claim into the idea that Katherine Howard ran down this gallery after her arrest screaming for Henry VIII, but still there is a rather spooky feeling to the gallery. It was also wonderful to see Henry VIII’s council chamber and to know that some of England’s major decisions and actions were discussed and decided upon within this small room. The Chapel Royal is also breathtaking and I could have spent all day in there just staring up at the stunning ceiling and taking in every piece of the beautiful architecture! King Henry VIII’s seat in the Council Chambers (photo by me). To commemorate 500 years since Henry VIII came to the throne, Hampton Court Palace put on a show each day to celebrate Henry VIII’s marriage to his sixth wife Catherine Parr. The whole event was very well done and wonderful to watch and participate in. We were introduced to Catherine Parr’s sister, Thomas Seymour, the Master of the Palace, Catherine Parr and of course Henry himself. They did 30 minutes shows which all lead into one another all across the palace.

The shows were arranged so that the audience was able to follow the actors around from 11:30am to 3:30pm watching different performances. Each performance was different and one spoke of Catherine’s feelings for Thomas Seymour and her decision to marry Henry VIII. Another was of Henry VIII and Thomas Seymour talking and a playful arm wrestle between the pair, fighting over the affections of Catherine Parr. The last performance was the celebrations after Henry and Catherine were married. Throughout the entire day the performers only spoke using the language and words of the Tudor period and I found this very impressive. Catherine Parr’s sister and the Master of the Palace (photo by me). Myself with the Master of the Palace (photo by me). Myself with Thomas Seymour – how Catherine Parr ever fell for him just astounds me! (Photo by me). Myself with Catherine Parr (Portrayed by the amazing author and costume interpretor Lauren Johnson) (photo by me). Henry VIII and Thomas Seymour arm wrestling “playfully” (photo by me). King Henry VIII and his new (and sixth wife) Queen Catherine Parr (photo by me).

In-between these performances there was a show where the master of the house and Catherine Parr’s sister broke character and spoke in detail about the clothing of the time. It was very interesting and I had the opportunity to learn about the different pieces of both Tudor men and women’s clothing. It was a well-constructed and quite impressive series of shows and I must give much applaud to the curators of Hampton Court Palace and the actors. Throughout the day I was even able to get my photo taken with Catherine Parr, Thomas Seymour, the Master of the Palace and of course with King Henry! The actor that played Henry VIII was brilliant! I introduced myself to him saying that I had come from the far away land of Australia to wish him well on his marriage. He turned to me and grinned gesturing for me to come closer and saying that he had heard of Australasia and said that he would have to send men to go explore it further if there were more beautiful women like me there! He then called me beautiful again and I freely admit that I blushed! Through this actor I can see the charm that Henry VIII had upon women, in that moment I would have certainly fallen for the impressive and charming King! Myself with Henry VIII – Such a charmer!

Hampton Court Palace is one of the most beautiful and impressive places that I have ever had the pleasure of visiting. It truly is a beautiful Palace with stunning architecture and such a rich and detailed history. It was wonderful to see the entwined motifs of HA and to be reminded of just how much Anne Boleyn did mean to Henry VIII. To be able to freely walk some of the most intimate halls and rooms where Henry VIII once lived was very impressive and I felt that I learnt a great deal about Henry VIII through visiting the Palace. I thoroughly enjoyed all the performances by the actors and actresses playing Catherine Parr’s sister, Thomas Seymour, the Master of the Palace, Catherine Parr and of course Henry himself. Each person wore stunning costumes and it was a wonderful experience to immerse oneself into the royal aspects of Tudor life. I took far too many photos and spent too much money but honestly I do not care! I look forward to the day when I can go back and visit Hampton Court Palace. Source: Dolman, B, Edwards, S, Groom, S and Meltonville, M 2009, Historic Royal Palaces Explore Hampton Court Palace, Historic Royal Palaces, Surrey.

Historic Royal Palaces 2011, ‘A Building History: Hampton Court’, viewed 15th October 2011, Available from Internet < ;. Share this: Hampton Court Palace - e-Royalty.com e-Royalty.com Celebrating England's Royals from Eleanor of Aquitaine to Elizabeth I Celebrating England's Royals from Eleanor of Aquitaine to Elizabeth I Hampton Court Palace eRoyalty Rating: In London stands one of the most beautiful of English palaces. It’s Hampton Court Palace, a favorite of King Henry VIII. It was actually built in 1525 for Cardinal Wolsey, Henry’s Chief Minister. At the time, Hampton Court Palace was considered the finest palace in the Kingdom. Unfortunately, the Cardinal was not able to enjoy his palace for very long. Since the Cardinal was unable to get Henry the annulment of his marriage to Catherine of Aragon he so craved from the Pope, Cardinal Wolsey fell in to great disfavor. Perhaps to get back in to King Henry’s good graces, Cardinal Wolsey gifted his beautiful place to Henry in 1528.

Hampton Court Palace was the scene of Henry’s greatest triumph – the birth of his longed-for son, Edward in 1537. But sadly Henry’s third wife, Jane, died at Hampton Court shortly after giving birth. The palace is said to be haunted by Henry’s fifth wife, Catherine Howard. It was here at Hampton Court that Henry learned of her misspent youth and current adultery. He ordered her arrested. She is said to have run screaming down The Haunted Gallery begging Henry for her life before the guards took her away. Hampton Court Palace remained a royal residence until George II in the 18th century. It is one of two palaces left that once belonged to Henry VIII. The other is St. James Palace. This year, Hampton Court Palace is celebrating its 500th birthday! To keep you up to date on all the planned festivities, e-Royalty is recommending Hampton Court’s Facebook Page at . Here you will discover the important dates and events in the life of Henry VIII, as well as the royal history behind the walls from Henry VIII to George II. Every post contains a link to more fascinating information about the subject.

As a friend of this Facebook page you’ll be the first to know of all the exciting activities planned for its 500th Anniversary. For example, there’s the upcoming Dusk ‘til Dawn sleepover at Hampton Court with a sumptuous dinner, exclusive tours, and they’re even serving breafast in the morning. Plus, the page regularly posts the most exquisite pictures of the Palace and the grounds both modern and historic. My favorite is the picture of the Firework display at Hampton Court Palace last September, accompanied by a performance of Handel’s Music for the Royal Fireworks. Another favorite is the picture of the King’s Staircase – truly breathtaking. If you’re fascinated by Henry VIII, liking the Hampton Court Palace Facebook page is a great way to round out your sense of this larger-than-life royal monarch as you get to know the palace where he lived. Haunted by Henry VIII at Hampton Court – Quilterosity / Quilterosity The Tudor portion of Hampton Court as seen from the kitchen gardens. I swear Henry is haunting me. I’m in awe of Hampton Court, his favourite palace, out of roughly 60. Hampton Court is really two palaces in one.

First is the Tudor Palace built by Cardinal Wolsey, Henry VIII’s right-hand man, who “gave” it to the king in 1528, after Henry had admired it, and after Henry had pointed out that Wolsey wasn’t much good at getting the pope to annul Henry’s marriage to Katherine of Aragon. Fat lot of good Wolsey’s generosity did him in the end, as he was arrested for treason the following year anyway. In Henry’s dictionary “treason” was defined as “not getting my way NOW.” It happened often. In fact, that was the eventual charge against Anne Boleyn, too. She committed the ultimate treason: not providing Henry with a son. The ceiling of Henry VIII’s Great Hall, decorated with timbers, stained glass, animal trophies and tapestries. Stained glass window in the Great Hall, with Henry VIII as its subject in the middle. The second palace was built by William and Mary, who had decided to tear down all of Henry’s Tudor palace because it was so hopelessly old fashioned. They were only half finished when Mary died, which saved the part they had not yet gotten to.

This part includes the Great Hall, still hung with the original tapestries (it’s said Anne Boleyn did some of the needlework herself), the amazing formal gardens, and the Chapel Royal, where we went to choral evensong last Sunday. Portion of Hampton Court built by William and Mary, with formal gardens containing pathways and fountains, and leading down to the River where royalty typically arrived by boat. King William’s hall looking out onto the “Orangery” – since he was of the House of Orange, it was important to grow orange trees on his estate as a symbolic gesture. Choral evensong is the Anglican service for the close of day, with choir. Without a choir, this service is just called Evensong, even though it is “said,” not “sung.” Going to church is free, but there’s a hefty entrance fee for ogling Hampton Court, so if you want to attend a church service in the Chapel Royal, which is a regular working Anglican church (just as it has been since the 1500’s), you have to announce yourself at security.

They take you through a gate and a doorway and down a driveway to an unmarked, arched wooden door into the bricked Tudor part of Hampton Court itself. This is the back entry to the Chapel Royal, and you walk past Henry’s kitchens, with its 50 rooms dedicated to storing and preparing fish, beef and peacocks, just for a start. Full disclosure: I peeked to the left and right for free. One of the 50 rooms in Henry’s kitchens, with one of the many walk-in fireplaces. Typical produce of the kitchens, which produced 1600 meals a day. The entrance to the chapel is not as impressive as you would think – a wooden doorway with the coats of arms of Henry VIII and his third wife, Jane Seymour. Once we were inside, an usher showed us to a boxed seat in the choir, back row, where the canons would sit – yes, the big shots of the church. (Sorry about that, couldn’t help myself.) Coat of arms of Henry VIII and Jane Seymour, Henry’s third wife, at the entrance to the Chapel Royal.

We had an excellent view of the organ and the organist opposite us, both hanging from a narrow balcony halfway up the wall, and the pipes are highly decorated, just like the walls and ceiling. The dark oak choir stalls were high enough so that we could only see the tops of the heads of the men and boys of the choir, and of the parishioners seated across from us. When we looked up, we saw the ceiling of the chapel just as Henry VIII designed it. The motto “Dieu et mon droit” is painted in gold on the blue background, and etched into the glass of the windows. “God and my right,” or, as Henry meant it, “God gives me the right.” Or, “I am so the boss of you!” Image of the ceiling of the Chapel Royal; thank you, internet – photography is not allowed inside the Chapel Royal. When we turned our heads to the right, we could see the “Holy Day Closet,” the balcony from where royalty watches the proceedings. As the light dimmed, it seemed I could just make out the tall and terrifying figure of Henry himself, hands on his hips, and the shadows of several women behind him.

The singing was beautiful; the words of the Book of Common Prayer so comfortable, and it was so moving to think of those same words spoken in that same space through the centuries. Inner courtyard as seen from interior corridor. Candlelight set against tapestries in King William’s section of the palace. I’d love to go again. And again. Secrets of Henry VIII's Palace - Hampton Court DVD - shopPBS.org Secrets of Henry VIII's Palace - Hampton Court DVD List Price: $24.99 Free Shipping on orders of $59 or more Details > Item No.: SEHP601 Single DVD This film focuses on Hampton Court Palace, from its origin through today. It was originally built for Cardinal Thomas Wolsey, a favourite of King Henry VIII, in 1529, as Wolsey fell from favour, the palace was passed to the King, who enlarged it. Today, the palace is open to the public, and a major tourist attraction. Along with St. James's Palace, it is one of only two surviving palaces of the many owned by Henry VIII.

Hampton Court Palace, London, England Hampton Court Palace, London, England history Hampton Court Palace, London, England Hampton Court Palace is a royal palace in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, Greater London, in the historic county of Middlesex, and within the postal town East Molesey, Surrey. It has not been inhabited by the British Royal Family since the 18th century. The palace is 11.7 miles (18.8 kilometres) south west of Charing Cross and upstream of central London on the River Thames. Redevelopment began to be carried out in 1515 for Cardinal Thomas Wolsey, a favourite of King Henry VIII. In 1529, as Wolsey fell from favour, the King seized the palace for himself and later enlarged it. Along with St. James's Palace, it is one of only two surviving palaces out of the many owned by King Henry VIII. In the following century, King William III's massive rebuilding and expansion project, which destroyed much of the Tudor palace, was intended to rival Versailles.[1] Work ceased in 1694, leaving the palace in two distinct contrasting architectural styles, domestic Tudor and Baroque.

While the palace's styles are an accident of fate, a unity exists due to the use of pink bricks and a symmetrical, if vague, balancing of successive low wings.[2] Today, the palace is open to the public and is a major tourist attraction, easily reached by train from Waterloo Station in central London and served by Hampton Court railway station in East Molesey, in Transport for London's Zone 6. In addition, London Buses routes 111, 216, 411 and R68 stop outside the palace gates. The structure and grounds are cared for by an independent charity, Historic Royal Palaces, which receives no funding from the Government or the Crown.[3] In addition the palace continues to display a large number of works of art from the Royal Collection. Apart from the Palace itself and its gardens, other points of interest for visitors include the celebrated maze, the historic real tennis court (see below), and the huge grape vine, the largest in the world as of 2005. The palace's Home Park is the site of the annual Hampton Court Palace Festival and Hampton Court Palace Flower Show.

History Tudor period Thomas Wolsey, Archbishop of York, Chief Minister and favourite of Henry VIII, took over the site of Hampton Court Palace in 1514.[4] It had previously been a property of the Order of St John of Jerusalem.[2] Over the following seven years, Wolsey spent lavishly (200,000 gold crowns) to build the finest palace in England at Hampton Court.[5] Wolsey rebuilt the existing manor house to form the nucleus of the present palace. Today, little of Wolsey's building work remains unchanged. The first courtyard, the Base Court,[6] (B on plan), was his creation, as was the second, inner gatehouse (C) which leads to the Clock Court (D) (Wolsey's seal remains visible over the entrance arch of the clock tower[7]) which contained his private rooms (O on plan).[4] The Base Court contained forty-four lodgings reserved for guests, while the second court (today, Clock Court) contained the very best rooms – the state apartments – reserved for the King and his family.[8] Henry VIII stayed in the state apartments as Wolsey's guest immediately after their completion in 1525.

In building his palace, Wolsey was attempting to create a Renaissance cardinal's palace of a rectilinear symmetrical plan with grand apartments on a raised piano nobile, all rendered with classical detailing. The historian Jonathan Foyle has suggested[9] that it is likely that Wolsey had been inspired by Paolo Cortese's De Cardinalatu, a manual for cardinals that included advice on palatial architecture, published in 1510. The architectural historian Sir John Summerson asserts that the palace shows "the essence of Wolsey—the plain English churchman who nevertheless made his sovereign the arbiter of Europe and who built and furnished Hampton Court to show foreign embassies that Henry VIII's chief minister knew how to live as graciously as any cardinal in Rome."[10] Whatever the concepts were, the architecture is an excellent and rare example of a thirty-year era when English architecture was in a harmonious transition from domestic Tudor, strongly influenced by perpendicular Gothic, to the Italian Renaissance classical style. Perpendicular Gothic owed nothing historically to the Renaissance style, yet harmonised well with it.[11] This blending of styles was realised by a small group of Italian craftsmen working at the English court in the second and third decades of the sixteenth century.

They specialised in the adding of Renaissance ornament to otherwise straightforward Tudor buildings.[11] It was one of these, Giovanni da Maiano who was responsible for the set of eight relief busts of Roman emperors which were set in the Tudor brickwork.[12] Anne Boleyn's Gate. The Tudor gatehouse and astronomical clock, made for Henry VIII in 1540 (C on plan above) Two of the Renaissance bas reliefs by Giovanni di Maiano can be seen set into the brickwork. Wolsey was only to enjoy his palace for a few years.[10] In 1528, knowing that his enemies and the King were engineering his downfall, he passed the palace to the King as a gift. Wolsey died two years later in 1530.[10] Within six months of coming into ownership, the King began his own rebuilding and expansion.[8] Henry VIII's court consisted of over one thousand people, while the King owned over sixty houses and palaces.

Few of these were large enough to hold the assembled court, and thus one of the first of the King's building works (in order to transform Hampton Court to a principal residence) was to build the vast kitchens. These were quadrupled in size in 1529.[13] The architecture of King Henry's new palace followed the design precedent set by Wolsey: perpendicular Gothic-inspired Tudor with restrained Renaissance ornament. This hybrid architecture was to remain almost unchanged for nearly a century, until Inigo Jones introduced strong classical influences from Italy to the London palaces of the first Stuart kings. Between 1532 and 1535 Henry added the Great Hall (the last medieval great hall built for the English monarchy) and the Royal Tennis Court.[14] The Great Hall has a carved hammer-beam roof.

During Tudor times, this was the most important room of the palace; here, the King would dine in state seated at a table upon a raised dais.[15] The hall took five years to complete; so impatient was the King for completion that the masons were compelled to work throughout the night by candlelight.[5] The gatehouse to the second, inner court was adorned in 1540 with the Hampton Court astronomical clock, an early example of a pre-Copernican astronomical clock. Still functioning, the clock shows the time of day, the phases of the moon, the month, the quarter of the year, the date, the sun and star sign, and high water at London Bridge.[16] The latter information was of great importance to those visiting this Thames-side palace from London, as the preferred method of transport at the time was by barge, and at low water London Bridge created dangerous rapids. This gatehouse is also known today as Anne Boleyn's gate, after Henry's second wife.

Work was still underway on Anne Boleyn's apartments above the gate when the King, who had become tired of her, had her executed.[17] Henry VIII's first building project at Hampton Court created vast kitchens capable of feeding his court of 1,000 people. During the Tudor period, the palace was the scene of many historic events. In 1537, the King's much desired male heir, the future Edward VI, was born at the palace and the child's mother, Jane Seymour, died there two weeks later.[18] Four years afterwards, whilst attending Mass in the palace's chapel, the King was informed of his fifth wife's adultery. The Queen, Catherine Howard, was then confined to her room for a few days before being sent to Syon House and then on to the Tower of London. Legend claims she briefly escaped her guards and ran through The Haunted Gallery to beg Henry for her life but she was recaptured.[19] King Henry died in January 1547 and was succeeded first by his son Edward VI, and then by both his daughters in turn.

It was to Hampton Court that Queen Mary I (Henry's elder daughter) retreated with King Philip to spend her honeymoon, after their wedding at Winchester.[5] Mary chose Hampton Court as the place for the birth of her first child, which turned out to be the first of two phantom pregnancies. Mary had initially wanted to give birth at Windsor Castle as it was a more secure location, and she was still fearful of rebellion. But Hampton Court was considerably larger, and could accommodate the entire court and more besides. Mary stayed at the Palace awaiting the birth of the "child" for over five months, and only left because of the inhabitable state of the court being kept in the one location for so long, after which her court departed for the much smaller palace of Oatlands. Mary was succeeded by her half-sister, Elizabeth I, and it was Elizabeth who had the eastern kitchen built; today, this is the palace's public tea room.[18] Stuart period On the death of Elizabeth I in 1603, the Tudor period came to an end. The Queen was succeeded by her first cousin-twice-removed, the Scottish King, James VI, who became known in England as James I of the House of Stuart.

In 1604, the palace was the site of King James' meeting with representatives of the English Puritans, known as the Hampton Court Conference; while agreement with the Puritans was not reached, the meeting led to James's commissioning of the King James Version of the Bible.[20] King James was succeeded in 1625 by his son, the ill-fated Charles I. Hampton Court was to become both his palace and his prison.[20] It was also the setting for his honeymoon with his fifteen-year-old bride, Henrietta Maria in 1625.[5] Following King Charles' execution in 1649, the palace became the property of the Commonwealth presided over by Oliver Cromwell. Unlike some other former royal properties, the palace escaped relatively unscathed. While the government auctioned much of the contents, the building was ignored.[21] After the Restoration, King Charles II and his successor James II visited Hampton Court but largely preferred to reside elsewhere. By current French court standards Hampton Court now appeared old-fashioned. It was in 1689, shortly after Louis XIV's court had moved permanently to Versailles, that the palace's antiquated state was addressed.

England had two new joint monarchs, William of Orange and his wife, the daughter of James II, Queen Mary II. Within months of their accession they embarked on a massive rebuilding project at Hampton Court. The intention was to demolish the Tudor palace a section at a time, while replacing it with a huge modern palace in the Baroque style retaining only Henry VIII's Great Hall.[22] The country's most eminent architect, Sir Christopher Wren, was called upon to draw the plans, while the master of works was to be William Talman. The plan was for a vast palace constructed around two courtyards at right angles to each other.

Wren's design for a domed palace bore resemblances to the work of Jules Hardouin Mansart and Louis Le Vau, both architects employed by Louis XIV at Versailles.[22] It has been suggested, though, that the plans were abandoned because the resemblance to Versailles was too subtle and not strong enough; at this time, it was impossible for any sovereign to visualise a palace that did not emulate Versailles' repetitive Baroque form.[23] However, the resemblances are there: while the façades are not so long as those of Versailles, they have similar, seemingly unstoppable repetitive rhythms beneath a long flat skyline. The monotony is even repeated as the façade turns the corner from the east to the south fronts. However, Hampton Court, unlike Versailles, is given an extra dimension by the contrast between the pink brick and the pale Portland stone quoins, frames and banding.[24] Further diversion is added by the circular and decorated windows of the second floor mezzanine.

This theme is repeated in the inner Fountain Court, but the rhythm is faster and the windows, unpedimented on the outer façades, are given pointed pediments in the courtyard; this has led the courtyard to be described as "Startling, as of simultaneous exposure to a great many eyes with raised eyebrows."[25] During this work, half the Tudor palace was replaced and Henry VIII's state rooms and private apartments were both lost; the new wings around the Fountain Court contained new state apartments and private rooms, one set for the King and one for the Queen. Each suite of state rooms was accessed by a state staircase. The royal suites were of completely equal value in order to reflect William and Mary's unique status as joint sovereigns.[26] The King's Apartments face south over the Privy Garden, the Queen's east over the Fountain Garden. The suites are linked by a gallery running the length of the east façade, another reference to Versailles, where the King and Queen's apartments are linked by the Galerie des Glaces. However, at Hampton Court the linking gallery is of more modest proportions and decoration.

The King's staircase was decorated with frescos by Antonio Verrio and delicate ironwork by Jean Tijou.[27] Other artists commissioned to decorate the rooms included Grinling Gibbons, Sir James Thornhill and Jacques Rousseau; furnishings were designed by Daniel Marot.[28] After the death of Queen Mary, King William lost interest in the renovations, and work ceased. However, it was in Hampton Court Park in 1702 that he fell from his horse, later dying from his injuries at Kensington Palace. He was succeeded by his sister-in-law Queen Anne who continued the decoration and completion of the state apartments. On Queen Anne's death in 1714 the Stuart dynasty came to an end.

Queen Anne's successor was George I; he and his son George II were the last monarchs to reside at Hampton Court.[1] Under George I six rooms were completed in 1717 to the design of John Vanbrugh.[29] Under George II and his wife, Caroline of Ansbach, further refurbishment took place, with the architect William Kent employed to design new furnishings and decor including the Queen's Staircase, (1733)[30] and the Cumberland Suite (1737) for the Duke of Cumberland.[30] Today, the Queen's Private Apartments are open to the public and include her bathroom and bedroom. Contents The palace houses many works of art and furnishings from the Royal Collection, mainly dating from the two principal periods of the palace's construction, the early Tudor (Renaissance) and late Stuart to early Georgian period. In September 2015, the Royal Collection recorded 542 works (only those with images) as being located at Hampton Court, mostly paintings and furniture, but also ceramics and sculpture.

The full current list can be obtained from their website.[31] The single most important work is Mantegna's Triumphs of Caesar housed in the Lower Orangery. The palace once housed the Raphael Cartoons now kept at the Victoria and Albert Museum. Their former home, the Cartoon Gallery on the south side of the Fountain Court, was designed by Christopher Wren; copies painted in the 1690s by a minor artist, Henry Cooke, are now displayed in their place. Also on display are important collections of ceramics, including numerous pieces of blue and white porcelain collected by Queen Mary II, both Chinese imports and Delftware. Queen Mary II's Bedchamber, also known as Queen Caroline's State Bedchamber. Much of the original furniture from the late 17th and early 18th centuries, including tables by Jean Pelletier, "India back" walnut chairs by Thomas Roberts and clocks and a barometer by Thomas Tompion. Several state beds are still in their original positions, as is the Throne Canopy in the King's Privy Chamber.

This room contains a crystal chandelier of circa 1700, possibly the first such in the country.[32] The King's Guard Chamber contains a large quantity of arms: muskets, pistols, swords, daggers, powder horns and pieces of armour arranged on the walls in decorative patterns. Bills exist for payment to a John Harris dated 1699 for an arrangement believed to be that still seen today. Chapel Royal The timber and plaster ceiling of the Chapel is considered the "most important and magnificent in Britain",[19] but is all that remains of the Tudor decoration, after redecoration supervised by Sir Christopher Wren. The altar is framed by a massive but plain oak reredos with garlands carved by Grinling Gibbons during the reign of Queen Anne.[19] Opposite the altar, at first-floor level, is the royal pew where the royal family would attend services apart from the general congregation seated below. Queen Catherine Howard was painfully dragged down the gallery leading to the royal pew pleading to Henry not to be executed and her ghost is said to still haunt this hall with her screams for mercy.

Next door to the royal pew is the rather small room where Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn were married, then her privy chamber. Grounds The grounds as they appear today were laid out in grand style in the late 17th century. There are no authentic remains of Henry VIII's gardens, merely a small knot garden, planted in 1924, which hints at the gardens' 16th-century appearance.[33] Today, the dominating feature of the grounds is the great landscaping scheme constructed for Sir Christopher Wren's intended new palace. From a water-bounded semicircular parterre, the length of the east front, three avenues radiate in a crow's foot pattern. The central avenue, containing not a walk or a drive, but the great canal known as the Long Water, was excavated during the reign of Charles II, in 1662.

The design, radical at the time, is another immediately recognizable influence from Versailles, and was indeed laid out by pupils of André Le Nôtre, Louis XIV's landscape gardener.[24] On the south side of the palace is the Privy Garden bounded by semi-circular wrought iron gates by Jean Tijou.[34] This garden, originally William III's private garden, was replanted in 1992 in period style with manicured hollies and yews along a geometric system of paths.[33] On a raised site overlooking the Thames, is a small pavilion, the Banqueting House. This was built circa 1700, for informal meals and entertainments in the gardens rather than for the larger state dinners which would have taken place inside the palace itself. A nearby conservatory houses the "Great Vine", planted in 1769; by 1968 it had a trunk 81 inches thick and has a length of 100 feet.[24] It still produces an annual crop of grapes.[35] The palace included apartments for the use of favoured royal friends.

One such apartment is described as being in "The Pavilion and situated on the Home Park" of Hampton Court Palace. This privilege was first extended about 1817 by Prince Edward, Duke of Kent and Strathearn, to his friend, Lieut General James Moore, K.C., and his new bride, Miss Cecilia Watson. George IV continued this arrangement following the death of Prince Edward on 23 January 1820. The Queen continued the arrangement for the widow of General Moore, following his death on 24 April 1838. This particular apartment was used for 21 years or more and spanned three different sponsors.[36] One of the Palace's sunken gardens. In the background is William III's Banqueting House (H on plan) of 1700. A well-known curiosity of the palace's grounds is Hampton Court Maze; planted in the 1690s by George London and Henry Wise for William III of Orange.[35] It was originally planted with hornbeam; it has been repaired latterly using many different types of hedge.

there is a 3D online browser simulation of the Hampton Court Maze--see the external links section Inspired by narrow views of a Tudor garden that can be seen through doorways in a painting, The Family of Henry VIII, hanging in the palace's Haunted Gallery, a new garden in the style of Henry VIII's 16th-century Privy Gardens, has been designed to celebrate the anniversary of that King's accession to the throne. Sited on the former Chapel Court Garden, it has been planted with flowers and herbs from the 16th century, and is completed by gilded heraldic beasts and bold green and white painted fences. The heraldic beasts carved by Ben Harms and Ray Gonzalez of G&H Studios include the golden lion of England, The white greyhound of Richmond, the red dragon of Wales and the white hart of Richard II, all carved from English oak. The garden's architect was Todd Langstaffe-Gowan, who collaborated with James Fox and the Gardens Team at Historic Royal Palaces. The King's Beasts There are also ten statues of heraldic animals, called the King's Beasts, that stand on the bridge over the moat leading to the great gatehouse.

Unlike the Queen's Beasts in Kew Gardens, these statues represent the ancestry of King Henry VIII and his third wife Jane Seymour. The animals are: the lion of England, the Seymour lion, the Royal dragon, the black bull of Clarence, the yale of Beaufort, the white lion of Mortimer, the White Greyhound of Richmond, the Tudor dragon, the Seymour panther and the Seymour unicorn. [37] Recent history Since the reign of King George II, no monarch has ever resided at Hampton Court. In fact, George III, from the moment of his accession, never set foot in the palace: he associated the state apartments with a humiliating scene when his grandfather had once struck him following an innocent remark.[26] In 1796, the Great Hall was restored and in 1838, during the reign of Queen Victoria, the restoration was completed and the palace opened to the public.

The heavy-handed restoration plan at this time reduced the Great Gatehouse (A), the palace's principal entrance, by two stories and removed the lead cupolas adorning its four towers.[38] On 2 September 1952, the palace was given statutory protection by being grade I listed.[39] Other buildings and structures within the grounds are separately grade I listed, including the early 16th-century tilt yard tower (the only surviving example of the five original towers);[40] Christopher Wren's Lion gate built for Queen Anne and George I;[41] and the Tudor and 17th-century perimeter walls.[42] Throughout the 20th century in addition to becoming a major London tourist attraction, the palace housed 50 grace and favour residences given to esteemed servants and subjects of the crown. It was an elderly recipient of one such grace and favour apartment who caused a major fire that spread to the King's Apartments in 1986. This led to a new programme of restoration work which was completed in 1990.

The Royal School of Needlework moved to premises within the Palace from Princes Gate in Kensington 1987, and the Palace also houses the headquarters of Historic Royal Palaces, a charitable foundation. Film location The palace served as the location for the film A Man for All Seasons (1966), directed by Fred Zinnemann. It also appeared in the HBO miniseries John Adams (2008) where Adams was received by King George III as the first U.S. Ambassador to the Court of St James's. The palace was used in the film Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (2011). The location was used for a performance of Six Wives of Henry VIII by Rick Wakeman in 2009. The concert was videotaped.

2012 Olympic Games The palace was the venue for the Road Cycling Time Trial of the 2012 Summer Olympics and temporary structures for the event, including a set of thrones for time trialists in the medal positions, were installed in the grounds.[43] 500th anniversary In 2015 Hampton Court celebrates its 500th anniversary.[44][45] The celebrations include daily dramatised historical scenes.[46] Building at the palace began on 12 February 1515.[47] Notes ^ Jump up to: a b Dynes, p. 90. ^ Jump up to: a b Dynes, p. 86. Jump up ^ "Historic Royal Palaces > Home > About us > Who we are". Hrp.org.uk. Retrieved 12 July 2011. ^ Jump up to: a b Summerson, p. 12. ^ Jump up to: a b c d Williams, p. 52. Jump up ^ "Base" in this instance simply means "lower" in the hierarchy of courtyards; it is not topographically lower.

Jump up ^ Spelthorne Hundred: Hampton Court Palace: architectural description, A History of the County of Middle sex, Volume 2: General; Ashford, East Bedfont with Hatton, Feltham, Hampton with Hampton Wick, Hanworth, Laleham, Littleton (1911), pp. 371–379. Retrieved 21 March 2009. ^ Jump up to: a b Thurley, p. 6. Jump up ^ Foyle, Jonathan (29 March 2011). "Hampton Court: The Lost Palace". BBC. Retrieved 12 July 2011. ^ Jump up to: a b c Summerson, p. 14. ^ Jump up to: a b Copplestone, p. 254. Jump up ^ Copplestone, p. 257. Jump up ^ Thurley, p. 8. Jump up ^ This court is still in use for the game of real tennis, an older version different from the present game. It is now the oldest extant real tennis court. Jump up ^ Summerson, p. 21. Jump up ^ Thurley, p.

18. Jump up ^ Williams, p. 53. ^ Jump up to: a b Thurley, p. 9. ^ Jump up to: a b c Thurley, p. 23. ^ Jump up to: a b Thurley, p. 10. Jump up ^ Thurley, p. 11. ^ Jump up to: a b Summerson, p. 16. Jump up ^ This is the stated opinion of Sir John Summerson. Summerson, p. 19. ^ Jump up to: a b c Dynes, p. 95. ^ Jump up to: a b Summerson, p. 19. ^ Jump up to: a b Williams, p. 54. Jump up ^ Dynes, p. 94. Jump up ^ The furnishing was discussed by Tessa Murdoch, "The furniture for the King's Apartments: 'Walnuttree' gilding, japanning and marble", Apollo 140 (August 1994) pp. 55–60. Jump up ^ Thurley, Simon (2003). Hampton Court: A Social and Architectural History. p. 255.

^ Jump up to: a b Thurley, Simon (2003). Hampton Court: A Social and Architectural History. p. 279. Jump up ^ Collection search - choose Hampton Court from the drop-down menu for "Where?" Jump up ^ Mortimer, Martin (2000). The English Glass Chandelier. p. 41. ^ Jump up to: a b Thurley, p. 44. Jump up ^ Dynes. p. 95. ^ Jump up to: a b Thurley, p. 46. Jump up ^ From The Gentleman's Magazine, Volume 173, pp. 659–660, Obituary for Lieut-General James Moore. Jump up ^ "Statues of the King's Beasts". Beautiful England. Retrieved 10 November 2014. Jump up ^ Dynes, p. 91. Jump up ^ Historic England. "Details from image database (205384)". Images of England. Retrieved 27 March 2009. Jump up ^ Historic England. "Details from image database (205392)". Images of England.

Retrieved 27 March 2009. Jump up ^ Historic England. "Details from image database (205395)". Images of England. Retrieved 27 March 2009. Jump up ^ Historic England. "Details from image database (205385)". Images of England. Retrieved 27 March 2009. Jump up ^ London2012.com. Jump up ^ Historic Royal Palaces. "Hampton Court Palace celebrates its 500th anniversary in 2015". hrp.org.uk. Retrieved 11 February 2015. Jump up ^ Historic Royal Palaces. "Historic Royal Palaces". hrp.org.uk. Retrieved 11 February 2015. Jump up ^ "Hampton Court Palace – Henry Claims the Palace". pastpleasures.co.uk. Retrieved 11 February 2015. Jump up ^ "Hampton Court's 500th birthday - Exclusive interview with the Palace's events planner - Richmond Upon Thames". thisisourtownrichmond.co.uk. Retrieved 11 February 2015.

References Dynes, Wayne (1968). Palaces of Europe. London: Hamlyn. OCLC 37658. Copplestone, Trewin (1963). World Architecture. London: Hamlyn. Summerson, John (1969). Great Palaces (Hampton Court. pp. 12–23). London: Hamlyn Publishing Group Ltd. ISBN 0-600-01682-X. Thurley, Simon (1996). Hampton Court Palace. London: Historic Royal Palaces. Williams, Neville (1971). Royal Homes. Lutterworth Press. ISBN 0-7188-0803-7. External links Wikimedia Commons has media related to Hampton Court.

Official site at Historic Royal Palaces Historic photos of Hampton Court Palace Hampton Court by Walter Jerrold Hampton Court Palace entry from The DiCamillo Companion to British & Irish Country Houses Grace & Favour: A handbook of who lived where at Hampton Court 1750-1950 (pdf) - there are full floor plans of the palace on pages 10–13 Aerial view of the maze at Google Maps The Hampton Court Flower Show The Royal Tennis Court at Hampton Court Palace The Choir of The Chapel Royal at Hampton Court Palace Aerial photo and map Areal photo and solution map to the Maze Online 3D Virtual Hampton Maze Browser Simulation Add profiles to this project Add collaborators to this project Add Profiles

Question: Who gave Hampton Court Palace to Henry VIII as a gift in 1528?
Answer: Cardinal Thomas Wolsey